Vergeer and Homan set up Beijing rematch

NEWS ARTICLE

For the second successive year the world's top two players, Esther Vergeer and Korie Homan, will contest Sunday's women's singles final at the NEC Masters, but this year's contest takes on added bite after Vergeer faced her first match point in five and half years against Homan at September's Beijing Paralympics.

Both Dutch players made light work of their semifinals in Amsterdam on Saturday, world No 1 Vergeer securing her second 60 60 win in successive days as she powered past world No 4 Florence Gravellier, while Homan dropped just three games in the first set of her semifinal against fellow Dutchwoman and world No 3 Jiske Griffioen.

Homan got as close as anyone to Vergeer in any recent Masters final in Amsterdam last season, eventually losing 63 64. The 22-year-old from de Wijk has taken Vergeer to three sets five times since October 2006 and three of those contests to go the distance have come this season, including the last two encounters between the two rivals.

Vergeer remains unbeaten since the end of January 2003, her victory over Gravellier on Saturday becoming the 353rd win in her remarkable winning streak, but her bid for an 11th successive NEC Singles Masters title and a 354th successive victory on Sunday is likely to give the spectators at the Frans Otten Stadium a real treat.

Sevenans seals fifth place after thriller

Annick Sevenans (BEL) finished in fifth place as the first of the minor play-offs in the women's event ended in a thrilling final set tiebreak on Saturday.

Sevenans and Lucy Shuker (GBR) split two closely fought opening sets before Sevenans hit winners off two second serves when Shuker had three match points in the deciding set. Shuker double-faulted on her third match point and the contest came down to a final set tiebreak, which Sevenans snatched to seal a 46 63 76(4) victory.